Publications by authors named "Lisheng Dai"

Background: Genome integrity is essential for the survival of an organism. DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes (e.g.

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Malignant mesothelioma (MMe) is a rare malignancy originating from the linings of the pleural, peritoneal and pericardial cavities. The best-defined risk factor is exposure to carcinogenic mineral fibers (e.g.

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The Drosha cleavage of a pri-miRNA defines mature microRNA sequence. Drosha cleavage at alternative positions generates 5' isoforms (isomiRs) which have distinctive functions. To understand how pri-miRNA structures influence Drosha cleavage, we performed a systematic analysis of the maturation of endogenous pri-miRNAs and their variants both and .

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Article Synopsis
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate over 60% of coding genes and their abnormal expression is linked to diseases like cancer.
  • Research on the ribonuclease enzyme Drosha, crucial for miRNA production, revealed two new isoforms through PacBio sequencing: AS27a, a truncated unstable protein, and AS32a, a full-length Drosha variant with a 14-amino acid insertion.
  • Neither AS27a nor AS32a can restore miRNA expression in Drosha knockout cells, but AS32a is more prominent in breast cancer tumors compared to normal tissues, indicating a potential role in cancer progression.
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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associated with Argonaute proteins (AGOs) regulate gene expression in mammals. miRNA 3' ends are subject to frequent sequence modifications, which have been proposed to affect miRNA stability. However, the underlying mechanism is not well understood.

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Many microRNAs (miRNAs) exist alongside abundant miRNA isoforms (isomiRs), most of which arise from post-maturation sequence modifications such as 3' uridylation. However, the ways in which these sequence modifications affect miRNA function remain poorly understood. Here, using human miR-27a in cell lines as a model, we discovered that a nonfunctional target site unable to base-pair extensively with the miRNA seed sequence can regain function when an upstream adenosine is able to base-pair with a post-transcriptionally added uridine in the miR-27a tail.

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MicroRNA (miRNA) processing begins with Drosha cleavage, the fidelity of which is critical for downstream processing and mature miRNA target specificity. To understand how pri-miRNA sequence and structure influence Drosha cleavage, we studied the maturation of three pri-miR-9 paralogs, which encode the same mature miRNA but differ in the surrounding scaffold. We show that pri-miR-9-1 has a unique Drosha cleavage profile due to its distorted and flexible stem structure.

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Cells frequently simultaneously express RNAs and cognate antisense transcripts without necessarily leading to the formation of RNA duplexes. Here, we present a novel transcriptome-wide experimental approach to ascertain the presence of accessible double-stranded RNA structures based on sequencing of RNA fragments longer than 18 nucleotides that were not degraded by single-strand cutting nucleases. We applied this approach to four different cell lines with respect to three different treatments (native cell lysate, removal of proteins, and removal of ribosomal RNA and proteins).

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Apolipoprotein CIII (ApoCIII) has been shown to be associated with the inflammatory response, but the mechanism of its inflammatory effects remains unclear. Because vascular endothelial cells (VECs) play a key role in the development of inflammation, the present study was performed to investigate inflammatory mechanisms induced by ApoCIII in VECs. In this study, we screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using RNA-sequencing.

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  • BMP15 and GDF9 are vital for ovarian functions like follicular growth and reproduction, and their synergy is mediated by the BMPR2 receptor complex, which activates the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.
  • miR-375 directly regulates BMPR2 expression in bovine cumulus cells, with its overexpression decreasing BMPR2 and ALK7 levels, while inhibition increases them.
  • Overexpressing miR-375 reduces the proliferation of bovine cumulus cells and increases their apoptosis rates, whereas inhibiting miR-375 shows no significant effects on these parameters.
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Porcine cumulus cells are localized around oocytes and act as a specific type of granulosa that plays essential roles in the development and maturation of oocytes, the development and atresia of follicles, and the development of embryos. Studies of FAT1 have demonstrated its functions in cell-cell contact, actin dynamics, and cell growth suppression. To understand whether the FAT1 gene affects the apoptosis of porcine cumulus cells and to elucidate the mechanism of this potential action, FAT1 was knocked down using RNA interference.

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Aims: To study the effect of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) gene knockdown on the differentiation of pig preadipocytes.

Methods: Preadipocytes were obtained from subcutaneous adipose tissue from the neck of 1- to 7-day-old pigs. The TDG gene was knocked down using siRNA, and cell differentiation was induced.

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RNase III enzyme Drosha interacts with DGCR8 to form the Microprocessor, initiating canonical microRNA (miRNA) maturation in the nucleus. Here, we re-evaluated where Drosha functions in cells using Drosha and/or DGCR8 knock out (KO) cells and cleavage reporters. Interestingly, a truncated Drosha mutant located exclusively in the cytoplasm cleaved pri-miRNA effectively in a DGCR8-dependent manner.

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  • The study investigates how miR-375 influences the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipose tissues using isolated porcine cells.
  • miR-375 was found to act as a negative regulator of this process by targeting the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2).
  • Silencing BMPR2 produced similar effects to increasing miR-375, confirming its role in inhibiting adipogenic differentiation.
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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that act as a negative regulator of most mRNAs. miRNAs influence the gene expression as transcriptional regulators and play an important role in many fundamental biological processes. It is generally acknowledged that miRNAs have a very important affection on mammalian pituitary.

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We previously reported that numerous naturally occurring genetic mutations in the 5'-upstream regulatory region (5'-URR) of the bovine follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit gene (FSHB) were associated with reduced serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, poor-quality semen and low fertility in bulls. In addition, two different FSHB mRNA transcripts resulting from the linked mutations of genomic DNA were discovered in mutation-bearing bull pituitaries. Here, using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we identified c.

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microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of single‑stranded non‑coding RNA molecules of 19‑24 nucleotides (nt) in length. They are widely expressed in animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. Via specific mRNA complementary pairing of target genes, miRNAs are able to regulate the expression of mRNA levels or inhibit protein translation following transcription.

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Background: Adipocyte, the main cellular component of white adipose tissue, plays a vital role in energy balance in higher eukaryotes. In recent years, adipocytes have also been identified as a major endocrine organ involved in immunological responses, vascular diseases, and appetite regulation. In farm animals, fat content and categories are closely correlated with meat quality.

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Background: MBD4 (methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4) is an important G: T glycosylase that can identify T-G mismatches. It plays a role in active demethylation through base excision repair. Overexpression of MBD4 gene can cause the demethylation of numerous genes, and the remethylation of MBD4-associated genes can occur when the MBD4 gene is knocked out.

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Purpose: This study investigated proteins differentially expressed in the ovaries of menopausal women in comparison to childbearing women.

Methods: Differential protein expression was screened by difference gel electrophoresis and 2-D SDS-PAGE. Four differentially expressed proteins were excised manually, identified by mass spectrometry and confirmed by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry.

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Article Synopsis
  • BMP15 is crucial for mammalian reproduction and its expression increases during the growth and development of ovarian follicles.
  • The study used flow cytometry and RNA interference to investigate the effects of BMP15 on cumulus cell apoptosis and to identify related regulatory genes like MCP-1/CCL2 and FBN1.
  • Findings revealed that BMP15 reduces cumulus cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, with CCL2 and FBN1 acting as key regulators in this process.
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Aims: Our study aims to characterize the functions of the ADIPOQ gene in the process of fat deposition of pigs, thereby providing a basis for the use of this gene as a molecular marker for pork quality.

Methods: We used healthy Junmu1 piglets less than 7 days of age to establish an in vitro culture system for porcine preadipocytes. Chemically synthesized short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) were transfected into porcine preadipocytes to silence the expression of the ADIPOQ gene.

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GRTH, a testis-specific member of the DEAD-box family of RNA helicases essential for spermatogenesis, is present in Leydig cells (LC) and germ cells. In LC, it exerts an autocrine negative regulation on androgen production induced by gonadotropin. GRTH is transcriptionally upregulated by gonadotropin via cyclic AMP/androgen through androgen receptors (AR).

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Gonadotropin-regulated testicular RNA helicase (GRTH/DDX25), a testis-specific member of the DEAD-box family, is an essential post-transcriptional regulator of spermatogenesis. Failure of expression of Transition protein 2 (TP2) and Protamine 2 (Prm2) proteins (chromatin remodelers, essential for spermatid elongation and completion of spermatogenesis) with preservation of their mRNA expression was observed in GRTH-null mice (azoospermic due to failure of spermatids to elongate). These were identified as target genes for the testis-specific miR-469, which is increased in the GRTH-null mice.

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This study was designed to investigate the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in intron 1 of the gene A-FABP in 127 Junmu No. 1 white swine using PCR-SSCP. The association between the polymorphism and meat quality traits was also studied.

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